Head of Subject, Secondary Science

Reports to: Programmes Director (or Head of Product if the programme is still in pilot)

Location: Currently operating hybrid working in our West London Office

Contract: Permanent

Pattern: Full Time (standard hours 9am – 5.30pm)

Closing date: 14/08/2024 at 10am

Interviews: Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised

Salary: £60,000 to £70,000 (depending on experience)

About the role:

The Head of Subject Secondary Science provides authoritative educational leadership for their programme, under the pan-programme leadership of the AC+ Education Director. The Head of Subject Secondary Science is responsible for the educational impact of their programme, both in Ark schools and across the wider partnership, with joint responsibility for outcomes within Ark Schools.

The Head of Subject Secondary Science will work as an integrated part of an Ark subject leadership team to establish a shared vision for subject excellence that underpins how their programme is understood; and they work across AC+ to ensure this feeds into all elements of implementation support and into how their programme evolves over time.

You will be part of the hands-on Ark Schools work to improve subject outcomes within the Ark network, with responsibility for school support for Ark schools and a further share of their time directed by the Ark School’s Director of Curriculum and Assessment. You will bring insights from this work back into their programme, building towards our vision of a live and responsive partnership.

The Head of Subject Secondary Science will lead their subject within the programmes team, keeping the team up to date with educational thinking and coordinating all ongoing programme maintenance including high quality assessment writing. The Head of Subject Secondary Science are also hands-on working alongside the design team on curriculum writing, pedagogical quality assurance and coaching of design team members.

And finally, they build the programme's external profile, sharing the pedagogical and curriculum thinking and building strong advocates for AC+ approaches.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Contribute to and implement the organisation’s strategy and mission
• Work closely with the Product Strategy Director, Education Director and Heads of Product to inform and support the implementation of a programme strategy that contributes to the overall organisational mission, strategy and sustainability
• Keep abreast of sector and subject developments, legislative changes, research findings and innovative practice relevant to their subject, on a national and international level, working with the Expert Advisory Council to stay connected with the wider subject community
• Ensure there is a strong ongoing subject-specific learning and development programme for AC+ teams to build and maintain their subject expertise and pedagogical best practice, and to ensure they are fully trained in educational strategies used across Ark Schools and the Ark Learning Institute
• Maintain a rigorous understanding of the implementation, impact and perceptions of their programme to inform educational priorities, through subject panels, detailed review of assessment outcomes, and also school visits, feedback from Ark and non-Ark colleagues, review of metrics and data points, and other user feedback mechanisms
• Review and quality assure existing programme resources, developing a contextual understanding of strengths and weaknesses; building alignment with the Education Director and the Ark subject leadership team around clear educational priorities to continue to improve their programme’s impact on teaching and learning
• Provide school support for schools in the Ark Network (initially comprising 16 school visits per year), grounded in AC+’s codified school support model, tailored as needed in collaboration with Ark stakeholders to support Ark schools to implement to a high quality and achieve strong subject outcomes, and to support wider efforts to improve programme impact
• Build and maintain positive relationships with key Ark School stakeholders to drive high levels of school engagement, ensuring proactive, effective and timely communication
• Ensure assessment writing is timely, has rigorous quality assurance and is to a consistent high educational standard that meets school and MAT needs
• Ensure findings from efforts to improve outcomes in Ark schools and insights from school touchpoints feed into all components of their programme, working towards a vision of a live and responsive partnership that reflects the distinctive value from our feet on the ground in schools
• Create clear pedagogical rationale and briefs and train subject team members cross programmes and design as well as external curriculum designers and authors, to deliver a consistently high level of pedagogical content
• Lead pedagogical quality assurance reviews, following guidance as appropriate created by Product Strategy team
• Build the programme’s external profile, sharing the thinking on curriculum design and building strong advocates for AC+ approaches, including through building a strong social media presence
• Attend and present at relevant events and conferences representing Ark and AC+ approaches 

Key Requirements:

• Educated to degree level
• Shows a significant commitment to ongoing professional development and specialist qualifications
• Right to work in the UK
• Minimum of 3 years teaching experience across Key Stages 
• Demonstrates knowledge of education developments and best practice in teaching
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Has a strategic outlook when making decisions, recognising the wider impact
• Track record of providing professional development to teachers, including coaching, mentoring and training
• An experienced and confident leader with a proven ability to lead and implement change effectively and sustainably.
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills.
• Vision aligned with AC+’s high aspirations and expectations of self and others

View the full job description and person specification here

About Ark Curriculum Plus:

Ark Curriculum Plus is a not-for-profit education venture set up by the Ark Multi Academy Trust to improve subject outcomes, initially in the Ark network. We’ve now been going for over ten years, using what we learn in Ark to support over 1,000 schools nationally. Our mission is to empower teachers to give every young person, regardless of their background, the subject knowledge and skills that will allow them to succeed.

We now have subject excellence programmes in English, Maths, Science and Geography, at primary and secondary. A team of subject experts work with partner schools to empower teachers to achieve subject excellence using an ambitious curriculum combined with CPD, teaching and assessment resources.

Our programmes, including Mathematics Mastery and English Mastery, have been shown to have measurable impact in evaluations by the EEF, FFT and The Brilliant Club. The DfE is currently providing up to 80% subsidy to eligible schools to promote take-up of our Mathematics Mastery programme at primary.

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Hybrid working, with currently two days a week in our state-of-the-art office in West London working alongside colleagues
• Regular social events, monthly free breakfast, and daily fruit
• A flexible approach to working with understanding and consideration for work life balance and personal commitments
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

How to Apply:

Apply with a CV and cover letter on our online recruitment portal. Applications to be submitted by Wednesday 14^th August 2024 at 10am but please note: we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.

This ATS application form should take no longer 20 minutes to complete. At any time, you can pause, save, and log back in. If you have any difficulty with meeting the deadline for application, please contact recruitment@arkonline.org

Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.  

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link. 

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.